Page 462 - The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous

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456 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
up, locked up, or covered up. Since I was not gen-
uinely willing to do what it took to get sobered up, I
had the other options to face. I never dreamed it
would happen so quickly.
It was a beautiful September weekend just before
Labor Day. I made the decision to buy a case of beer
and a bottle of wine. Later in the evening I drank
whiskey on top of the beer and wine, blacked out,
committed a drunken crime, was arrested, and within
ten days was convicted and sentenced to twenty years
in prison. I guess an alcoholic death can come in
much the same way: I drink, I black out, I die. At least
with prison I would have another chance at life some-
where down the line.
I can’t start to describe the forced humility that is
placed upon an alcoholic who comes to prison.
Although I deserved to be in prison, the trauma was
horrible. The only encouragement and hope I was
able to find was from reading the personal stories in
the back of a tattered Big Book I found in my cell.
Then one day I heard something that was music to my
ears. A correctional officer announced that an A.A.
meeting was to be held in the chapel. When I walked
into the meeting, I took a seat in the circle of chairs,
where I once again found a protective haven.
As I pen this story, 3 ⁄2 years have passed since that
1
meeting in the chapel. I’ve moved to a larger prison
unit and have remained very active in the awesome
program of Alcoholics Anonymous. A.A. has accom-
plished so many things in my life today. It has given
me my sanity and an all-around sense of balance. Now
willing to listen and take suggestions, I have found
that the process of discovering who I really am begins